TDEE Calculator

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest just to maintain vital functions like breathing and circulation. TDEE includes BMR plus all additional calories burned through daily activities, exercise, and digesting food.

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is considered the most accurate for most people. It was developed in 1990 and has been validated in numerous studies. For men: BMR = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) - 5×age + 5. For women: BMR = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) - 5×age - 161.

TDEE calculators provide estimates that are typically within 10% of actual values for most people. Individual metabolism can vary based on genetics, muscle mass, hormones, and other factors. Use your calculated TDEE as a starting point and adjust based on real-world results over 2-3 weeks.

Be honest and consider your entire day, not just workouts. Sedentary means desk job with no exercise. Light is 1-3 light workouts per week. Moderate is 3-5 days of moderate exercise. Active is daily intense exercise. Very Active includes physical labor jobs plus exercise.

A 500-calorie deficit typically results in about 0.5kg (1lb) of fat loss per week. Larger deficits may lead to faster weight loss but can also cause muscle loss and are harder to sustain. Never go below your BMR for extended periods.

Track your weight and calorie intake for 2-3 weeks. If eating at your calculated TDEE and your weight stays stable, it's accurate. If you're gaining weight, your actual TDEE is lower; if losing, it's higher. Adjust by 100-200 calories and reassess.

If your TDEE already accounts for your activity level, you don't need to eat back exercise calories. If you use a 'sedentary' setting and track exercise separately, you can eat back 50-75% of exercise calories (fitness trackers often overestimate).